In case you’ve been away from your computer and Twitter feed lately, you’re probably aware that the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival has begun in Austin, TX. SXSW has grown from 700 registrants in 1987 to over 12,000 registrants in 2012. Again this year, I won’t be able to attend SXSW. I am counting on my connections, friends and fellow bloggers to keep me updated on the latest and greatest in tech trends and new ideas.

For those of us not attending SXSW this year, there are alternatives that might give you a taste of what it might be like to attend SXSW. Chances are the city you live in has a Social Media Club. If so, do yourself a favor and attend the next event. It is a great way to connect with fellow tech lovers and learn from guest speakers in a wide range of industries.

You might also want to make it to an Ignite or Pecha Kucha event in your area. Both of these events involve timed slide presentations about various topics. Ignite presentations are comprised of 20 slides that advance every 15 seconds. I love their motto “Enlighten us, but make it quick.” Pecha Kucha is a timed event that is comprised of 20 slides that advance every 20 seconds. With events in more than 500 cities around the world, Pecha Kucha tends to focus on design and architecture, but can include just about any topic under the sun. I’ve been to several of these events in Chicago and have never regretted going.

As an additional alternative to SXSW, I might also direct you to tech and social media blogs such as Mashable, TechCrunch, Social Media Examiner and Social Media Explorer. There will no doubt be reports and updates about the latest trends and newest tools from bloggers who will be attending SXSW…one worth checking out is Aaron Burcell’s Learnist page.

But let’s face it, nothing can replace the experience of attending an event like SXSW in person. While most of us can probably get a taste of the SXSW from updates on blogs and social media, nothing can replace the most social of social media tools…face-to-face communication. I have attended and worked enough conferences and conventions to understand this. I have seen and experienced how a hug from a friend who lives thousands of miles away trumps a “like” from this same friend on Facebook any day.

And what about the home of SXSW, Austin, TX? Could a festival as interesting and entertaining exist in any other city as besides the “weirdness” of Austin? A trip to Austin, I’m certain, is a fun, memorable experience.

As humans, we need this..crave this sort of community. It’s why Deadheads went on the road to follow their band back in the 60s, 70s and 80’s and why festivals like Lollapalooza can charge festival-goers well over $200 for a three day pass to feel incredibly entertained, yet very uncomfortable.

If you’re one of the people like me who cannot make it to SXSW this year…get out there and attend a tech event near you…ask questions…meet people…and get social.

How about you…have you attended SXSW? If so, what’s your favorite part of the festival? What are some other great festivals you’ve attended?

I’ve attended quite a few networking events in the past few years. And while networking gets criticized by many people as being a phony endeavor, I truly enjoy getting to know and meet new people.

At two recent events, however, something happened that surprised me: I was given a business card with barely a hello. It was as if someone attended an event with the intention of getting rid of x number of cards or they wanted to collect my card to put me on some sort of list.

I know Chris Brogan has explored this topic numerous times, but it really clicked with me recently. While I attend far fewer conferences and networking events than Chris, my stack of business cards that I receive continues to grow. As much as I try to remember the face that goes with the name on the card, the likelihood of my remembering gets smaller. For me, as with most people, the more you interact with someone at an event, the easier it will be to remember the person’s name on the card.

Last week, I attended a social media networking event and ran into someone I’ve met before. We talked for a while and instead of exchanging business cards, we exchanged Twitter handles. For someone who enjoys following a lot of people on Twitter, it made a lot of sense to me. I know I would see this person much more frequently on Twitter than I would see her business card, which would have been lost in a stack of cards in my desk.

I realize trading Twitter handles instead of business cards is not a perfect solution for everybody. I’m sure there are a lot of people, groups and industries that do not use Twitter nor have any desire to. That is fine. But I can see, among some groups (especially tech-savvy professionals), where exchanging Twitter handles can be a good alternative for exchanging business cards. It reminds me, that in many ways, social media platforms are now the new Rolodex.
How about you…what do you do with all of the business cards you collect? Have you adopted a system that keeps you connected to others without the clutter of all those cards?

Many people I know consider networking to be phony, selfish and a colossal waste of time. I’ve attended plenty of events that fit that description. But networking is still a way to be of service to others, get to know other people, grow your business and uncover the “hidden” job market.

Last month I was heading downtown for a meeting and I noticed something interesting at the bus/train terminal: I was mobbed by political candidates and their supporters that were shaking hands and handing out pamphlets. I even shook the hand of the winning candidate in a very close political race. After a few moments, I realized why she was there… it was the day before the primary election.

These days I’m more cynical than ever about politics…the Chicago airwaves have been loaded with commercials from candidates who promise to represent their citizens and be their voice. There’s so much mud being slung, I feel like I need a shower.

I thought back to the candidate whose hand I shook that day: even though I wanted her to win because I felt she was the best choice, the handshake seemed hollow. Would she be standing there shaking my hand if she didn’t need my vote?

I think networking is much the same way. We work hard adding new contacts to our LinkedIn profiles and new business cards to our collection. But how many of us keep in touch with our existing contacts before we need their help? To me, this is one of the most important aspects of networking.

Whether you’re working or in transition, make it a point to get in touch with those friends or acquaintances in your network that you haven’t talked to in a while. Let them know what you’re up to and if there’s any way you can help them. Networking isn’t just about building new relationships its also about maintaining them.

Alright, sorry to sound preachy. I write this post not as an expert, but as someone who has felt like I’ve talked to my network too many times in moments of need and not enough times in moments of strength or when I didn’t need a favor.

How about you…what person from your past have you had coffee with lately? Who have you been meaning to get in touch with just to say hi?